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1944
Champions Major League Baseball *World Series: St. Louis Cardinals over St. Louis Browns (4-2), in the "Streetcar Series" with all the games played at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. *All-Star Game, July 11 at Forbes Field: National League, 7-1 Other champions *Negro League World Series: Homestead Grays over Birmingham Black Barons (4-1) *Negro League Baseball All-Star Game: West, 7-4 *All-American Girls Professional Baseball League: Milwaukee Chicks over Kenosha Comets Awards and honors *'Most Valuable Player' **Hal Newhouser (AL) - pitcher, Detroit Tigers **Marty Marion (NL) - shortstop, St. Louis Cardinals *'The Sporting News Player of the Year Award' **Marty Marion (NL) - St. Louis Cardinals *'The Sporting News Most Valuable Player Award' **Bobby Doerr (AL) - Second base, Boston Red Sox **Marty Marion (NL) - Shortstop, St. Louis Cardinals *'The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award' **Hal Newhouser (AL) - Detroit Tigers **Bill Voiselle (NL) - New York Giants *'The Sporting News Manager of the Year Award' **Luke Sewell (AL) - St. Louis Browns MLB Statistical Leaders |} Major League Baseball final standings American League final standings |} National League final standings |} Events January-March April-June *May 1 - George Myatt of the Washington Senators goes 6-for-6 as the Nats beat the Red Sox 11-4. *May 4 - The St. Louis Browns announce that they are dropping their segregation policy restricting Negro fans to the bleachers. *June 6 - All games cancelled due to D-Day. *June 10 - 15-year-old pitcher Joe Nuxhall of the Cincinnati Reds makes his major league debut. He is the youngest person ever to play in a major league game. After giving up five runs to the Cardinals in 2/3 of an inning, he is relieved by Jake Eisenhart, who gets the final out in his only major league appearance. July-September *August 10 - Red Barrett of the Boston Braves throws a shutout with just 58 pitches - a record for fewest pitches in a nine-inning game. The game lasted 75 minutes. *September 30 - Detroit Tigers pitcher Hal Newhouser wins his 29th game, defeating the Washington Senators 7-3. October-December Births January-March *January 4 - Tito Fuentes *January 18 - Carl Morton (d. 1983) *February 1 - Paul Blair *February 13 - Sal Bando *February 17 - Dick Bosman *March 15 - Wayne Granger (d. 1996) *March 17 - Cito Gaston *March 21 - Manny Sanguillen *March 23 - George Scott *March 29 - Denny McLain April-June *April 1 - Rusty Staub *April 7 - Bill Stoneman *April 9 - Joe Brinkman *April 24 - Bill Singer *May 6 - Masanori Murakami *June 6 - Bud Harrelson *June 8 - Mark Belanger (d. 1998) *June 30 - Ron Swoboda July-September *July 9 - Sonny Jackson *July 22 - Sparky Lyle *July 30 - Doug Rader *August 20 - Graig Nettles *August 30 - Tug McGraw (d. 2004) *September 11 - John McSherry (d. 1996) October-December *October 4 - Tony La Russa *October 29 - Jim Bibby *November 7 - Joe Niekro (d. 2006) *November 8 - Ed Kranepool *November 17 - Tom Seaver *December 6 - Tony Horton *December 15 - Stan Bahnsen *December 22 - Steve Carlton Deaths *January 7 - George Mullin, 63, pitcher who won 228 games including a no-hitter, mainly with the Tigers, having five 20-win seasons *April 25 - Tony Mullane, 85, pitcher who won 284 games, including five 30-win seasons, throwing with both hands; led league in shutouts twice and strikeouts once. Mullane is rated one of greatest 19th century pitchrs not in Hall of Fame *October 17 - Jack Powell, 70, pitcher who won 245 games, primarily for the St. Louis Browns and Cardinals *November 25 - Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, 78, (Hall of Famer)Commissioner of baseball since that office's creation in 1920 who established the position's authority in overseeing cleanup of corruption in wake of the Black Sox scandal, banishing eight players from the sport for life for involvement in throwing 1919 World Series; as federal judge, had presided over 1914 case in which Federal League challenged major leagues under antitrust law; strong advocate of the independence of minor leagues from control of majors. Selected for Hall of Fame by special action soon after his death *December 4 - Roger Bresnahan, 65, Hall of Fame catcher and leadoff hitter who starred for the New York Giants from 1902-1908, and was first major leaguer to wear shinguards; led NL in walks in 1908, and was only catcher to steal 200 bases